Human rights lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong, has demanded that the handover note from former Governor Godswill Akpabio to Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State be made public to enable the people ascertain how much was spent by the government on the execution of many of the white ‘elephant projects’ in the state.
Describing Akwa Ibom State as the world capital of white elephant projects, Effiong said the publication of the handover note would boost the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
According to Effiong, the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Centre gulped N180 billion yet it has not be completed, the abandoned science park project initiated by former Governor Victor Attah’s administration was constructed at a cost of N5.6 billion with N5.3 billion paid to the contractors yet it has to be completed while huge amount of money has been spent on the Ibom Specialist Hospital as well.
Effiong, who spoke at a day stakeholders meeting on corruption organised by ActionAid in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, said while Nigerians were talking about the fight against corruption, issues of corruption were commonplace, adding that the Federal Government was yet to publish the names of the beneficiaries of the loot recovered from former military dictator, Sanni Abacha.
“We are in court for a certified true copy of the handover note, the governor has refused to give it to us. We have been in court since January 2019, the current governor has continued to shield the former governor,’’ he said.
Effiong, who urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Akwa Ibom State chapter, to revisit the collapsed Reigners Bible Church in which many worshippers lost their lives while attending the ordination of the founder of the church, accused the state government of a cover up by refusing to implement the recommendations of the white paper on the incident.
Reigners Bible Church was act of corruption, he said, adding that though the white paper had recommended that some people should be prosecuted, the state government was yet to implement any aspects of the recommendations by the white paper.
He also lamented that “politicians have invaded the judiciary with corruption,” maintaining that Nigerians should not show sympathy to any judge found guilty of corruption in the country, as judges were next to God in terms of the enormous powers they have.
Effiong, who also accused the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) not doing enough to restore the integrity of the university system in the country, said the lecturers were only interested in fighting for the welfare of its members, pointing out, “We cannot fight corruption when our education system is in a state of coma.”
